Abstract
Interior Architecture often begins not with structure but with program. It centers on user activity, spatial flow, and future adaptability, assuring us of its relevance in a world of shifting needs and business or life models. While Architecture traditionally engages with site, form, and building systems, Interior Architecture operates as a more fluid, responsive discipline. It negotiates meaning, function, and time, particularly in projects of adaptive reuse or transformation. This interpretive paper argues that Interior Architecture acts as both a design practice and a form of strategic thinking. Drawing from professional experience, it explores how interior architects are often involved in early-stage discussions that shape not just layout but the long-term trajectories of space use, whether in commercial ventures, residential planning, or institutional shifts. Interior Architecture reflects the aspirations, constraints, and values of its users, making it a mirror of broader business or life models. The paper also considers how user-centered frameworks—such as design for aging, post-crisis adaptation, or inclusive environments—can be prototyped through interior practice and scaled to broader spatial systems. By rethinking programmatic design from the inside out, Interior Architecture offers a unique and inspiring lens on how constructed environments can evolve alongside human and organizational change. Ultimately, the interior becomes not just an occupied space but a space of interpretation, where meaning, function, and identity are continually reprogrammed.
Presenters
Yutaka TakiuraVisiting Associate Professor, Creative Enterprise Leadership, Pratt Institute, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
2026 Special Focus—From the Home to the City: Designing Spatial Experiences
KEYWORDS
INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE, USER DESIGN, PROGRAMMING, ADAPTIVE REUSE, STRATEGY, BUSINESS MODEL
